Recipe Background
Easter Morning Tart: A blend of ricotta, scallions, and ham in a pizza crust makes this a new family classic.
I’ll never forget the Easter morning when I finally decided to impress my family with something a bit more sophisticated than eggs-on-toast. Stepping into the world of tarts felt daunting yet exhilarating. I remember unrolling the refrigerated pizza crust, a nod to convenience with just the right touch of homemade charm. The fluted tart pan, a wedding gift still pristine in its box, became the perfect vessel for this culinary adventure. As I whisked together the ricotta, heavy cream, and egg, it struck me how much this moment mirrored my life — a blend of simplicity and elegance, a touch of chaos, and a sprinkle of patience.
The morning sun poured through the kitchen windows as the butter melted in my grandmother’s cast-iron skillet, the same one she used every Easter to make her famous scallion pancakes. The aroma of sizzling scallions filled the room, and I couldn't help adding a bit more dill, imagining her nod of approval. When it was time to bake, laying the ham mixture on the crust and topping it with the creamy ricotta felt like decorating a tapestry. The tart emerged from the oven golden and proud, much like a crafted masterpiece. Serving it on our spring-themed platter, I noticed how letting it rest for just a few brief moments made slicing a breeze. As I shared this creation with my family, I realized it was not just an Easter tart — it was a new tradition in the making, stitched carefully from moments old and new.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 (13.8-ounce) tube refrigerated pizza crust dough
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 large egg
- 2-3 bunches scallions 2 tablespoons minced with the rest sliced into 1/2-1/4-inch pieces, divided
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill or fresh tarragon chopped
- ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons water
- 5 ounces deli-sliced ham cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Directions
- Place a baking sheet on the top rack of the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Grease a 9-inch fluted tart pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
- Line the prepared pan with the pizza dough and carefully press it against the sides. Trim the excess dough.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the ricotta, the heavy cream, and the egg together.
- Add the 2 tablespoons minced scallions, the parsley, the dill, and the pepper to the ricotta mixture and stir to combine.
- In a large skillet over high heat, melt the remaining butter.
- Add the sliced scallions and the water to the butter and cook the scallions until they are tender and start to sizzle, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer the buttered scallion mixture from the heat and add the ham.
- Spread all but 2-3 tablespoons of the ham mixture on the crust.
- Pour the ricotta mixture over the ham mixture and top with the remaining ham mixture.
- Bake the tart until the crust is golden and the filling is set, about 20 minutes.
- Let the tart rest for 5 minutes in the pan.
- Transfer the tart to a serving platter, slice, and serve.
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